5 SEO Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make

The strategies for search engine optimization have changed significantly over the past few years as SEO continues to evolve from its more traditional forms. SEO can still be a powerful way to boost traffic and bring users closer to making a purchase on your site. Because SEO is always shifting, it is important to stay on top of what the most successful modern practices are every year.

If you use SEO incorrectly you might not get the kind of results you are looking for and end up frustrated. Some practices may even be harmful in the long run so you should review what strategies are currently the norm. Here are some of the most common SEO mistakes to avoid making:

Using the Wrong Keywords

You are not optimizing for the right keywords then most of your SEO efforts will be in vain. If you focus on generic or global keywords instead of more focused and localized words then you won’t be attracting the right kind of visitors to your site. Long-tail keywords usually work best because people that type very specific phrases are more often looking to buy something.

More generic keywords might attract people that just browsing, are not interested in what you offer or are not looking to make a purchase. Broad keywords can also have a lot more competition making it harder to boost your rank. Do some keyword research first or use an SEO company that specializes in finding keywords to start a more effective campaign.

Not Using Unique Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

In addition to having the right keywords you also need to focus on title tags and meta descriptions that are the most effective. If all of your pages have similar titles then it can be damaging to your SEO strategy. You need unique titles that are optimized and include specific keywords that are related to the content on the page.

Meta descriptions can also be useful for SEO because they appear within search results. A meta description should be persuasive and act as a sales pitch for your page. Each page throughout your site should include a meta description with some relevant keywords that will entice people to click on your link in search results.

Focusing on Quantity Instead of Quality Links

Links are important in SEO but if you have a high number of bad links then you are only causing more harm than good. The quality of links is important when search engines are evaluating them for your ranking. One link from a popular blog will boost your rank more than hundreds of lesser quality links.

SEO Los Angeles strategies will get the most results from links that are relevant to your website and come from trusted sources rather than spammy sites.

Creating Unrelated Content

One of the problems that people experience with SEO is the tendency to produce content that isn’t directly related to your keywords. This happens when people want to rank for a certain keyword but are not effective at focusing the text on that topic. Google is looking for content that is the most relevant for search terms users type in and if your doesn’t answer the search specifically then your rank on the search engine results page will suffer.

Not Optimizing for Mobile

People use their smartphones for searches more than ever and it is a huge missed opportunity not to invest in a mobile friendly site. The quality of your website, especially how it performs on a mobile phone can be very crucial for your search rank. If your site isn’t mobile friendly, Google and other search engines will recognize it which can negatively affect your rating.